The Arena: A Jedi Knight's Tale
by Lina Skye
Summary: Have you ever wondered what the story was behind the hundreds of nameless Jedi Knights in the Arena battle in Ep II? Well...this is one of their stories....


NOTE: *....*means character thought  
*~*~*means flashback/dream  
//...// means telepathic messages  
  
((...))means my own thoughts on storyline  
  
  
The Arena: A Knight's Tale  
  
  
  
Ch. 1   
  
  
Reesa Uun boarded the Republic transport, her brown eyes expressing the emotion that her impassive face would not. Newly Knighted at the age of 20, she was unsure of her place in the Order and the galaxy. Turmoil and sadness dwelled in her heart, due to her recent loss.   
  
Her Master, a short, but muscular Corellian Jedi by the name of Benjamin Halycon, had died on a mission when trying to mediate a dispute involving the Separatist movement. Count Dooku, the leader of the Separatist movement had killed her father figure.   
  
She had come away with relatively small injuries.   
  
Her Master's last moments haunted her every thought.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Go, Padawan. Go, it's too late..."the regal Jedi Master choked out.   
  
Reesa shook her head, ignoring the dizziness the desperate movement sparked. "No, Master...please, no...I love you.."she whispered, clutching his hand as if her iron will would keep him with her.   
  
Just then, the Jedi Master felt a wave of pure healing energy slam into him, filling him with strength.   
  
"Please..don't do this at your own expense.....I love you too much for you to die for me..." Benjamin Halycon murmured as he realized what his apprentice was doing. He shoved away her efforts with the little strength he had left.   
  
"Be strong, Padawan..you always have been.....I'll wait for you...."  
  
Then, the strong Jedi Master passed into the Force. "No, Master..please no....don't leave me...I'm not ready......"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
A sudden nudge on her right arm jerked her back to the present. The young Knight looked over to see the Jedi Master Plo Koon staring at her inquiringly.   
  
"Is something wrong, Knight Uun?"Koon asked.   
  
Reesa shook her head. "No, nothing, Master Koon. Nothing that can be helped anyway...."  
  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
Reesa looked out at the Arena before her. It was packed to the rim with thousands of blood-thirsty Geonosians.   
  
She looked over at the box seats of the Arena, where Count Dooku sat. His expression was dispassionate as the Jedi were brought into the arena, but Reesa could clearly see that he was going to enjoy this public execution....if it actually happened.   
  
Reesa's eyes flashed. No...the executions would not take place. Not if she had anything to do with it. She refused to allow that-that....man anything pleasurable. Not after he had killed the man she had looked up to as a father.   
  
Reesa's heart ached at the thought of her late Master. The Council did not even know the cause of her Master's death, not yet at least. Reesa had been finishing up the trade dispute when she had been called to Geonosia.   
  
The only thing the Council knew was that her Master had died. Over the commlink, the Council had pronounced her a Knight, without further trials.   
  
Reesa gave a small sigh and reined in her thoughts to focus on the present.   
  
Over at the box seats, she could sense Mace Windu's presence nearing the Count. She tensed, awaiting the signal.   
  
Suddenly, a wave of the Force rushed out at every Jedi in the arena, signaling from their posts.   
  
Reesa leapt from the stands, her blue lightsaber flashing to life.   
  
Immediately, Geonosians scattered as mass chaos ensued. Reesa could vaguely hear Dooku speaking. She whirled around as she heard metallic walking.   
  
Her heart sank as hundreds of battle droids flooded the arena. Blaster fire erupted into the arena. The Jedi barely had time to think as they plunged into battle.   
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
Reesa glanced over to see that the two Jedi and the Senator they had originally come to protect were armed and joining the battle.   
  
A sudden warning of the Force rang shrilly in her mind. She ducked and rolled, barely able to dodge the odd style of weaponry the Geonosian warriors shot at them.   
  
Reesa turned to see Mace Windu fighting Jango Fett alone. She rushed forward to help, but was waved away.   
  
"GO!"Mace Windu shouted, urging her onward even as he faced the dangerous bounty hunter alone.   
  
She sprinted and soon found herself backing up to fight alongside a living legend. She was soon fighting back to back with Obi-Wan Kenobi.   
  
Their lightsabers flashed in the arena, furiously blocking blaster bolts.   
  
Then, as abruptly as she had begun to fight, a few carefully aimed shots ended it. Reesa sensed the bolts coming, but she knew in the back of her mind that if she ducked, it would leave Obi-Wan Kenobi unprotected.   
  
Reesa set her jaw and refused to move.   
  
She knew she could never get her lightsaber around to block the blow.   
  
She also knew that she was not going to sacrifice the Jedi Master's life for hers.   
  
Reesa caught the first blaster bolt in the lower back. She stumbled, lightsaber still held high in a defense that was only half-effective.   
  
She deflected another blaster bolt that was aimed at her, but in doing so, missed another one. The next bolt caught her in her abdomen, just below her ribcage and above her stomach.   
  
She groaned, the pain of the first two bolts crushing her as another blaster bolt connected with her shoulder. Reesa stumbled and fell to the ground, her lightsaber landing with a soft thud beside her.   
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Master......hurts...."  
  
Benjamin Halycon gently caressed his Padawan's forehead. "Relax, Padawan. It will all be over soon. Don't worry...we'll be home soon...."  
  
Reesa laid on the bunk of their ship. They were on their way back from a long, painful mission. Reesa had been badly injured in their escape.   
  
// Don't worry, Padawan....we'll be home soon....//  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
Reesa groaned as she felt a gentle hand touch her. Pain hazed her vision, but she could see the arena and agony clearly in her mind's eye.   
  
"Don't move, young one. You've been injured,"a soothing, melodic voice said.   
  
Reesa coughed fitfully, blood leaking from the corner of her mouth under the force of the coughing fit. Pain shot through her body with every breath.   
  
Her breathing came in shallow, gasping sobs as she desperately tried to suck in oxygen.   
  
"Hurts.......who are you?"Reesa managed.   
  
"I, young one, am Obi-Wan Kenobi. You need to rest. This battle is not yet over,"the Jedi Master soothed.   
  
Reesa gagged on her own blood, barely able to form coherent words. Then, the haunting realization pressed down on her.   
  
"I'm going to die.........leave me....protect yourself,"Reesa whispered.   
  
Obi-Wan looked up to see that Mace was still engaged in conversation with Dooku. He knelt next to the wounded, young Jedi Knight.   
  
Reesa dissolved into a hacking, raw coughing fit. Her body shook with spasms of pain, then went limp. The only sign of her living was the shallow pants of breath.   
  
"Master....hurts....please no.....make it stop..."she whispered, loss of blood keeping her mind from coherent thought.   
  
Obi-Wan's own heart ached for the Jedi Knight's pain that he did not even know. Her delirious murmurs pulled at him.   
  
"Sh...it's okay, Padawan......everything will be all right, soon,"Obi-Wan murmured, sending calming waves of the Force to the young Knight.   
  
Reesa's clouded brown eyes looked up at the blue sky, then closed for one last time. "There is no death..there is the Force,"she whispered as her last breath left her body.   
  
Obi-Wan stood and drew his lightsaber.   
  
His battle was not yet over.   
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
Reesa opened her eyes. Ahead of her was a bright light. She smiled.   
  
So this was what the Force was like.   
  
Reesa walked into the bright light to see the face she had longed to greet for the past few weeks.   
  
Ahead of her, stood her Master.   
  
"Master...I-I—"  
  
Benjamin Halycon shook his head and enveloped his Padawan in a fierce hug. "I am so proud of you, Padawan. You did well,"he said.   
  
Reesa smiled, returning the embrace.   
  
Finally, she was home.   
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
"Master, why are we going to this Knight's funeral?"Anakin inquired.   
  
Obi-Wan looked over at his Padawan. "This young Knight was barely a few years older than you, yet she had to face the terrors of the galaxy alone. She was a far wiser Jedi than I."  
  
"What do you mean, Master?"Anakin asked, puzzled.   
  
"Her last words were 'there is no death, there is the Force'...and she actually believed every word she spoke without fear."  
  
((finished!))  
  
*****************************  
  
Well, thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
So sorry this is so short!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!! though this isn't one of my better works...I'd like you to review anywayz! K? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hugs to all...lol  
  
well, this is me, Lina Skye,   
  
Signing out for now!!!!!!!!! 


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